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The class goes to the Central Park Zoo and Bronx Zoo, too, but the opportunity to see the animals close up and study them in the classroom is key, Schuman said.

“One of the really important things to me is when you see animals out of the context you normally see them in, it makes them fantastic,” he said. “You see how remarkable they are. It defamiliarizes you.”

The students might also get a horse as a model later in the semester.

“They’re calm and stay still — they’re very good models,” said teaching assistant Angela Gram, who helped found the class.

“Camels are very expensive,” he lamented. “It’s something that’s always a struggle — to find animals we can afford over time.”

Students, for one, are inspired.

“I heard stories about the animals he was bringing in, it’s pretty amazing,” said Richard Barlett, a first-year MFA student who is auditing the class. “Capturing that movement and life is very challenging. It’s great practice.”